I was wondering if anyone thought it would be too late to apply to medical school next year if I didn’t take the MCAT until maybe mid-June or early July 2012. My reasoning behind this question is that I feel I may not be prepared to take it and do well until this time. If that is too late and I am not prepped then perhaps I will just wait another year to apply. Thanks for your help!
The latest you can submit an MCAT for the 2012 application for MD is like Spetember 2011. For DO I believe it is January 2012. If you aren’t going to take it til next July (2012) then you won’t even get past the first stage of the applications. Now if you are applying for the 2013 class then a July 2012 MCAT is no big deal.
JUST DO IT!
I feel submitting your AMCAS and your secondaries late are far worse than taking your MCAT late.
I feel submitting the AMCAS early is just holding your place in line, since in my opinion schools don’t even look at your applications until at least September. You may get secondaries before then, but generally it is from schools who are scamming the money from automatic secondaries.
(10,000 applicants, at $100 a pop, you do the math.)
And for now until you take the MCAT, study like you have never studied before!
I had the same concern, so thanks for clearing that up, guys.
But, to confirm, does that mean you can apply early, say right when applications open in June (or May when they open in Texas) and still not have taken the MCAT – but be scheduled to in June or July?
And you should still be fine?
Thanks!
Yes, basically I would get your application together and in on June 1, so then the only thing they are waiting in your MCAT score. If you wait til after the MCAT they will still have to verify all of your other stuff (transcripts) and your MCAT. Getting it in early gets all of the other stuff out of the way.
It could be that you still won’t be verified and the schools won’t get you application until after the MCAT, but still better to get it out of the way and hold it up for the MCAT.
FutureTXMD
That’s what I elected to do but I did take the MCAT as you know. I believe I was prepared but ended up doing not so well. My major concern is my low VR. Working on VR and improving is not very straight and it seems I will need time. I mean if you screw up the sciences, well you know what to do to improve, but VR is different.
So I have elected to take more time and delay one year and frankly between the kids, the job, the work and instead of fighting for every minute I could get, I decide to take it easy, allow more time, have less stress (for me and my wife).
It all depends on your circumstances. THe only thing that separates my current state from an OK applicant to a great one is VR on the MCAT. Based on my goals and my target school, as well as personal situation, it makes sense for me to postpone.
Now in your case, and one thing I can say for sure, is that you shouldn’t take the MCAT if you are not ready or if you do take it (not being ready), make sure to void, unless you it goes so well that you are confident you hit the 30+ mark.
I went to VR feeling a bit unprepared, but still thought I would achieve my usual score. Well hoping for the MCAT doesn’t cut it.
You have to be strong, at the top of your game. Then you should take it. If you think you can be prepared for June/July, and hopefuly do well, then you should apply now. If not, then you can delay.
It all depends on your own situation.
Redo-it-all, if you’re having trouble with VR, have you looked into sources that show you how the testmakers make wrong answers? I had trouble in that field, and after my resources showed me how to “crawl into the heads” of the test writers, my VR score went up quite a bit . . .